Method of forming glassware



Sept. 24, 1935. D. E. GRAY ET AL METHOD OF FORMING GLASSWARE Filed May .31, 1934 IIIIII) 'INVENTORJ DAY/0 5.617197 BY Alia Musk 6104:5212 ATTZRNEYS.

Patented Sept. 24, 1935 PATENT OFFICE,

2,015,219 METHOD OF FORMING GLASSWARE David E. Gray, Corning, and Walter G. Weber, Coopers Plains, N. 'Y., assignors to Corning Glass Works, Corning, N. Y., a corporation of New York Al plication May 31, 1934, Serial No. 728,446

3 Claims. (01. 49-39) This invention relates to forming glassware and more particularly to the. casting of large vessels.

.The forming of large glass vessels, especially. those of considerable depth, by ordinary pressing methods is not practicable owing to the difiiculty of obtaining uniform distribution of the glass between the walls of the press mold and the plunger and particularly when working with the harder Sullivan and Taylor Patent 1,304,623.. It is impossible to cause such glasses to flow upwardly around a deep plunger due to their high viscosity at relatively low temperatures.

The object of the present invention is to facilitate the formation of large vessels of glass.

Another object is to produce a vessel which has smooth outer and inner surfaces and is free from laps and like imperfections.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing our invention which embodies among its features flowing a. mass of glass directly from the outlet orifice of a forehearth over the exterior of a rotatable forming member which moves transversely of the direction of the flow of the glass stream issuing from the outlet orifice permitting the glass to flow downwardly over the forming member, rotating the latter about its vertical axis to distribute glass over its entire surface and cooling the former in selected areas to obtain the desired glass distribution in the wall of the vessel.

In carrying our invention into practice we employ a carriage upon which is pivotally mounted a table carrying a forming member which is rotated through the medium of a suitable prime mover such as an electric motor, means being pro vided for. swinging the table around its pivot during rotation of the forming member. We also provide means for limiting the downward flow of the glass, shaping its edge into any suitable form such as an outstanding flange, and cooling the former in selected areas as the glass flows over it.

In the drawing:

Fig 1 is a side view partly in section of aforrna ing device constructed in accordance with this invention showing the same in position beneath a forehearth showing the manner in which a stream of glass flows over the former;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the forming device;

. Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section showing.

the former with the glass in position onit; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the former Referring to the drawing in detail a carriage l mounted on casters II is provided near one end with an upwardly extending boss l2 which is surmounted by a trunnion I3 at the upper end of which is a cylindrical extension l4. Extending 5 upwardly from the upper surface of the carriage Y ID in spaced relation are ears l5 having aligning openings for the reception of a shaft l6 and carried by the shaft between the ears I5 is a worm II for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter de- 0 scribed.

Mounted for rotation on the trunnion I3 is a collar l8 carrying a table l9 which is provided with a collar 20 surrounding an opening 21. A worm gear 22 is fixed to the collar l8 intermediate its ends and meshes with the worm l'l so that upon rotation of the shaft l6 the table l9 will swing about the axis of the trunnion l3. Formed in the upper surface of the table l9 concentric with the collar is a ball race in which are bearing balls 20 23 upon which a former carrying ring 24 is rotatably mounted. This ring 24 is provided with peripheral teeth 25 for meshing engagement with the teeth on a pinion 26 which is mounted for rotation on the cylindrical extension M of the g5 trunnion l3. This pinion in turn meshes with a suitable gear train 21 which is driven by a suitable prime mover ,28 such as an electric motor which is mounted on the carriage l0.

Attached to the upper face of the former carry- 0 ing ring 24 is a hollow former 29 which in the present instance'consists of a dome shaped body having an outwardly extending flange 30 which supports a glass forming ring 3|. Extending upwardly into the interior of the former through the opening 2| in the table I9 is a pipe 32 the upper end of which is bent as at 33 to conform. to the shape of the former and is perforated in such a manner that fluid within the pipewill issue as a series of jets which play upon the interior of the former as illustrated. The end of the pipe opposite its bent end 33 is connected through a suitable valve 34 with afluid pressure supply line 35. Extending into the former in substantially parallel relation to the pipe 32 is apipe 35 which like the pipe 32 is connected through a valve 31 to the fluid pressure supply line 35andthis pipe 36 isprovided near its upper end with a series of perforations which direct jets of fluid against the interior of the former 29 below the zone aflected by those issuing from the pipe 32.

In use the carriage I0 is moved into position under the outlet orifice of a forehearth 38 which is normally closed by" a plug 39. After the car-' riage has been placed in position, the plug 39 is elevated thus permitting a stream of glass 40 to issue from the forehearth and flow over the former 29 as shown in Fig. 1. In order to control the distribution of the glass over the former, the

shaft I6 is rotated to cause the table to move' transversely of the direction of motion of the stream 40 and at the same time the former is rotated on the bearing balls 23 through the medium of the' ring 24, pinion 26, gear train 21 and prime mover 28. After'a suflicient amount of glass is deposited on the former the plug is lowered to close the orifice and the stream III is cut off by any suitable cutting device (not shown). The glass on the former sags down over its sides until its lower edge engages the ring 3| where it is shaped into a flange as shown. In order to ensure proper glass distribution onthe former, the valves 34 and I! are manipulated to control the flow of fluid through the pipes 32 and 36 and thereby control the rapidity with which heat is conducted away from the upper and lower zones of the former. By thus controlling the cooling of the former, the rapidity with which the glass is set can be readily governed and hence its thickness or distribution in different zones can be regulated.

After the article has thus been formed, it may be finished by applying a roller 4| as shown in Fig. 4 to smooth off the joint between the main body of glass and the outstanding flange which is formedbythering 3|.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention as claimed; What is claimed is:

1. The method of forming glassware which includes flowing molten glass downwardly over a 10 former, rotating the former about its vertical axis to causesymmetry of distribution of the glass on the former and cooling the former in selected areas to control the thickness of the glass.

2. The method of forming glassware which in- 15 tion of flow of the glass to cause symmetry of disg5 tribution of the glass on the former and cooling the former in selected areas to control the thickness of the glass.

DAVID E. GRAY.

WALTER C. w 

